27 Mar CHELSEA DESIGN WEEK 2017

Last week I attended Chelsea Design week, one of my favourite interiors events of the year. Over 120 showrooms housing over 600 luxury interiors brands in Chelsea Harbour’s Design Centre domes opened their doors to unveil new collections as well as showcase their existing collections. Here is my round up of the top brands that stood out for Georgian and Regency Interiors.

African influences were seen in many showrooms, as it is a key interiors trend for 2017. A brand that stood out for me by capturing the essence of this was Cole & Son’s new Ardmore Collection of wallpapers and borders, which were unveiled last week. It was created in collaboration with Ardmore Ceramic Art. The quirky collection features exotic flora and majestic fauna: from rare birds to big cats, elephants, rhinos and mischievous monkeys; as well as the beautiful patterns of Zulu beadwork and woven basket ware. What I found most interesting, from a Georgian styling perspective, was the way the collection had been put together to enable the layering of borders and patterns to create a new take on panelling, dado rails and borders. Where a period property might once have had dado height panelling it offers a great way to eye-catchingly re-instate these proportions.

Image: Cole & Son, Matrinah Ardmore collection

For a Georgian property I would use the Matrinah and Ardmore Cameos designs, which have a more classic feel to them, in a powder room or cloakroom to add interest. The Savuti print could be used as a modern day chinoiserie in a guest bedroom and Narina has an Art Deco feel that could work beautifully in a dressing room or cloakroom.

Image: GP & Baker, Historic Royal Palaces Collection

There is a real grandeur with GP & J Baker’s collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces. The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace, has provided a wealth of inspiration for this very special collection. My favourite design is the Palace Maps, which would work very well within a Georgian cloakroom or study.

Image: GP & Baker, Palace Maps Print on Arm Chair

At Mulberry Home (a brand that is also a part of the GP & J Baker group) I loved the “Bohemian Travels” which is a tribute to the discerning traveller/collector; this collection brings together exciting, inspirational designs, exotic textures and palette of radiant contrasting colours. This collection is fantastic for adding topographical detail to a study or used on a chair or as a cloakroom blind. It gives a ‘nod’ to the practice undertaken by gentlemen and scholars of the Georgian period to take the Grand Tour.

Image: Mulberry Home

At Room’s Black Edition I loved the velvet fabric offerings, in particular the Erbusco fabric, a textural velvet which features an elegant damask and would look amazing on cushions or even as a bedspread due to its heavier weight. For printed velvet that encapsulates a rich but faded glory use Maroque Cinnabar as the intricate layers and elaborate detailing would work well on an old wing chair.

Image: Black Edition

At fabric and wall coverings brand Zoffany, I spotted the Elswick Paisley print which takes inspiration from antique paisley rugs and would be simply stunning for a Gentleman’s study or feature wall. Guinea and Icarus Zoffany prints are perfect for a Georgian Country House where hunting, shooting and fishing pursuits are a main-stay. Guinea features the fine detail of delicate in a beautiful textural effect and Icarus features the artwork of hand layered pheasant feathers.

Image: Zoffany

Another highlight by Zoffany is the Kempshott Wall coverings collection. Holkham Bay was originally commissioned as an oil painting and depicts a landscape of vast sands, sultry sky and moody sea on a layer of gold iridescence. It is a piece of art at a fraction of the price of the original. The wallpaper panels are sold on a roll, so you can apply a floor-to-ceiling mural that looks custom-painted or frame it, stand back and admire!

Image: Zoffany

You just can’t beat their 1787 range for authenticity. It’s all hand painted on a ground of tea-paper. The designs are inspired by originals from the 18th century or as with their China Trade design depict scenes from 18th century life. From their 20th Century range, I adore the contemporary take on chinoiserie shown in their prunus design which is perfect for a bedroom and their Pleasure of Fishes design would work fantastically in a cloakroom.

Image: Fromental

At leading textile brand Chase Erwin there was an elegant new collection of handmade cushions that really caught my eye. What I loved about the new ‘Beau’ cushion collection is the way they have used the fabrics to create them. They have used the edge of the fabric roll, the part called the ‘selvage’ to create the fringe detail that frames a strip of their Mohair velvet running from top to bottom as the center detail. They would work perfectly in both bedrooms and drawing rooms of Georgian Townhouses.

Image: Chase Erwin

One of my favourite lighting companies is Vaughan, their range of lights focuses on classic designs and so many of their products are well suited to Georgian properties. I particularly liked the Alabaster Genoa base that we saw, as well as their range of ceramic Chinese inspired blue and white bases.